Rotary operator

ABSTRACT

A rotary operator for operating a valve or the like by rotating same a partial revolution in either rotational direction, wherein the operator has a pair of self-centering floating pistons movable by an arcuately curved piston rod in a tubular insert assembly mounted in a housing, and wherein each piston has a double O-ring seal which prevents misalignment and resultant binding of pistons during arcuate floating movement controlled by fluid pressure introduced into the insert assembly. The tubular insert assembly is made from conventional tubing which is bent to an arcuate shape so as to eliminate machining and other relatively expensive manufacturing costs.

1970, abandoned.

I United States Patent 1 1 3,731,597

Payne May 8, 1973 [54] v ROTARY OPERATOR 3,281,065 10/1966 Chaffiotte.92 120 [75] Invent: Glen Payne 2312 38 gii ..92 120 I [73] Assignee:The Areas Company, Houston, Tex.

Primary Examiner-Paul E. Maslousky [22] Flled 1972 Attorney-Prabel,Wilson & Matthews [21] Appl. No.: 226,834

[57] ABSTRACT Related US. Application Data I u A rotary operator foroperating a valve or the like by C"tlmlmlon'ln'part of 42,240, Junerotating'same a partial revolution in either rotational direction,wherein the operator has a pair of self-centering floating pistonsmovable by an arcuately curved [52] US. Cl ..92/120, 92/129 piston rodin a tubular inSfl-t assembly mounted in a l] Il'lt. 1/10 i g andwherein each pi has a double g [58] Fleld of Search ..92/120, 67, 65,171, sea] which prevents misalignment and resultant bind 92/129 ing ofpistons during arcuate floating movement controlled by fluid pressureintroduced into the insert as- [56] References C'ted sembly. The tubularinsert assembly is made from con- UNITED STATES PATENTS ventional tubingwhiehis bent to an arcuate shape so as to eliminate machining and otherrelatively expen- 3,070,075 12/1962 Hanselmann ..92/120 givemanufacturing costs. 3,188,919 6/1965 Sills ...92/120 3,229,590 1/ 1966Huska ..92/120 6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures Z/a .Z c

26 .3/ A? I Q ROTARY OPERATOR CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The field of this invention isfluid-actuated rotary operators for valves and the like.

Motion converting apparatus employing an arcuate piston rod and pistonstherewith in an arcuate housing, wherein the pistons are moved by fluidpressure, are known, examples of which are illustrated in U. S. Pat.Nos. 447,079; 1,006,157; 1,442,540; 2,287,960; 2,651,206; 2,936,636;3,246,580; 3,444,788; and 3,446,120. The principal problems with respectto known apparatus of such type is the maintenance of a seal by thepistons as they move arcuately and dragging or other interference withthe movement of such pistons by reason of the continuous change indirection of movement thereof. The cost of manufacture of such apparatushas also been extremely high due to the precise machining required inthe arcuate cylindrical portions of the body or housing in an attempt tominimize dragging or other interference with the movements of thepistons therein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION been roughly sized by molding or otherwiseeconomi- I cally shaping so as to receive said tubular assemblyand theworking parts of the rotary operator such as the operating rod.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevation of the rotaryoperator of this invention, shown in position with the rotary shaftextending substantially vertically;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view taken on line 33 of FIG. 1, but without the pistons andthe arcuate piston rod therewith;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1 and illustratingthe pistons and the piston rod disposed in the lower portion of thehousing;

FIG. 5 is a view showing the preferred arcuate piston rod and one ofthepistons in an exploded view; and

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating the tubular insert assembly by itself.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED. EMBODIMENTS In the drawings, the rotaryoperator of this invention is designated generally by the letter A andit includes a housing or body B which is preferably made in two halves10 and 11 which are releasably joined together by connecting screws 12or other suitable attaching means. Briefly, the housing B, whenassembled as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, has an annular chamber C inwhich a tubular insert assembly T (FIG. 6) is disposed. A pistonassembly which includes an arcuate piston rod 20 and pistons 30 whichare separate therefrom, as will be explained, are disposed so that thepistons 30 move within the tube 25 of the tubular assembly T. Thearcuate piston rod 20 is connected to an operating shaft 40 which isconnected to a valve or other equipment to be operated.

Considering the invention more in detail, the annular chamberC which isprovided by the body or housing sections 10 and 11 is formed by twosemi-cylindrical annular cavities or recesses 10a and 11a. Such cavitiesor recesses 10a and 11a communicate with a central recess 10b and 11bwhich together form the central opening inwardly of the annular chamberC. The housing section 10 has a shaft opening 10c and the housingsection 11 has a similar shaft opening 11, each of which has therein abearing sleeve or insert 14 made of Teflon or other suitable bearingmaterial- Such hear ing members 14 are adapted to receive the shaft 40therein as best seen in FIG. 2 so that the shaft 40 is supported forrotation, as will be more evident hereinafter.

The arcuate piston rod 20 is mounted within the circular chamber C sothat its ends 20a are disposed in the tube 25 for engagement with thepistons 30, as will be more evident hereinafter. The arcuate piston rod20 has a connecting central split ring 21 which is preferably integralwith thepiston rod 20 or is other wise connected thereto by a connectorstrip 22. In the preferred form of the invention, the rod 20, the splitring 21 and the connector strip 22 are formed by molding, casting orotherwise as a unitary assembly. The ring 21 is split at 21a and it hasan opening 21b through which the operating shaft 40 is adapted toextend. A fastener bolt 23 is threaded into a threaded bore 21c of thesleeve 21 so thatafter the shaft 40 has been positioned in the centralopening 2112, the gap 21a may be reduced to tighten the ring 21 andthereby fasten same to the rod 40 for movement together. Thus, the rod40 and the rod 20 are connected for movement together.

The tubular assembly T is formed of a single piece of tubing, preferablyof light gauge steel which is capable of being bent into the arcuateshape illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, without any substantialdeformation thereof. The tube 25 is initially a straight tube ofconventionaltubing which is bent to shape in a suitable press of anyknown construction (not shown). By reason of such fabrication of thetube 25, the need for the machining, grinding or otherwise finishing ofthe inside surface of the walls forming the recesses 10a and 11a iseliminated, thereby substantially decreasing the cost of manufacture ascompared to prior constructions wherein the surfaces were machined andsimilarly formed.

The tube 25 is divided in half by a generally circular divider plate 26which is welded or is otherwise affixed in the bore 25a of the tube 25,so as to form two piston chambers, each of which receives one of thepistons 30.

The tube assembly T is also preferably fabricated prior to assembly withthe rest of the apparatus A so as to include fluid pressure pipes ortubes 27 which are disposed on the opposite sides of the divider disc orplate 26 (FIG. 4). Such tubes or pipes 27 extend through the wall of thetube 25 and are welded or are otherwise affixed thereto so that air orother gas under pressure may be introduced and released in a knownmanner to and from the bore 25a of the tube 25, as will be more evidenthereinafter. it should be noted that the housing sections and 11 haveappropriate semi-circular grooves 10d and 11d (FlGS. l and 3) for thepositioning of the pipes 27 therein when the sections 10 and 1 1 are inthe assembled relationship of FIGS. 1 and 2.

Each piston 30 is separate from the piston rod but is engageable with anend 20a of the rod 20 so that each piston 30 is floating. To preventeach piston 30 from cocking at an angle which might cause a binding ofeach piston 30 as it moves in the arcuate path defined by the bore a ofthe tube 25, each ring has a pair of seal rings 31, preferably O-ringsmade of rubber or similar sealing material which engage the bore 250.Such seal rings 31 are the only portions of the pistons 30 whichactually engage the bore 25a so that there is always a seal between suchrings 31 and the inside bore 25a, but there is no interference from anycontact by any part of the piston 30 with such surface 25a. it has beenfound that the longitudinally spaced seal rings 31 on each piston 30tends to guide each piston 30 smoothly in an arcuate path in contactwith the inner surfaces of the bore 25a, without any substantial bindingor interference with such movement.

The pistons 30 are moved in their arcuate path by introducing fluid suchas air pressure through one of the tubes 27 into one side of the tube 25for causing one of the pistons 30 to move and thus to transmit itsmovement to the piston rod 20. At the same time, the other tube or pipe27 is connected so that it will exhaust air or other pressure within theother side of the tube 25 as the other piston 30 moves by the urging ofthe piston rod 20. The reverse is accomplished by reversing the flowthrough the tubes 27 so that an oscillatory movement or partial rotationin opposite directions for the shaft is accomplished. The extent of suchoscillatory or partial rotation of the shaft 40 may be regulated orlimited by control stop pins 50 which are contacted by the connectorplate or rib 22 in each direction of partial rotation of the connectorrod 20. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the stop pins 50 are disposed so thatthe angular movement of the operating shaft 40 is approximately 90.Additional stop pin holes or recesses 10e and lle are also provided sothat the stop pins 50 may In the use or operation of the apparatus A ofthis invention, the tube assembly T is prefabricated as a unitaryassembly in the form essentially illustrated in FlG. 6. Then the pistonrod 2) and the pistons 30 are positioned with the pistons 30 in the twosides of the tube 25, and they are all then laid in either the housingsection 10 or 11 of the housing B. The shaft 40 is positioned in thering 21 and is secured thereto by the fastener bolt 23, as explained.The stop pins 50 are positioned as desired for the amount of angulardisplacement or oscillatory movement of the shaft 40 which is desired asexplained. Then, the other housing section 10 or 11 is assembled andsecured to the first housing section 10 or 11, using the connector bolts12 which fasten them together to complete the housing B. The pipes 27are connected to suitable valves and a source of fluid pressure so thatthereafter fluid pressure such as gas or air pressure may be introducedinto one of the tubes 27 while discharging or exhausting from the othertube 27. Such control of the gas pressure causes the pistons 30 toalternately be urged in their arcuate path within the bore 25a of thetube 25 for thereby transmitting oscillatory movement through the pistonrod 20 the split ring 21 and thus to the operating shaft 40.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention areillustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the size,shape, and materials as well as in the details of the illustratedconstruction may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I

I claim:

1. A rotary operator for a valve or the like, comprising a housinghaving a circular operating chamber internally thereof;

a tubular insert assembly including a single metal tube bent to anarcuate shape and disposed in a portion of said operating chamber toform two arcuate piston chambers;

a divider plate disposed in and fixed to the bore of said tube atsubstantially the mid-point thereof for dividing said tube into said twoarcuate piston chambers;

an arcuate piston rod disposed in said operating chamber and having itsends positioned in said arcuate piston chambers formed by said tube;

a piston having annular seal means therewith disposed at each of saidends of said piston rod but separate therefrom and having no connectiontherewith; and

fluid pressure means for alternately applying fluid pressure to each ofsaid pistons for moving same and said piston rod arcuately therewith.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said fluid pressure means includes a pipe disposed on each side of saiddivider and communicating with each of said piston chambers in saidtube.

3. The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said tube forms a liner for the major portion of said operating chamber.

4. The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein said annular seal meanson each of said pistons includes:

a pair of seal rings spaced from each other and providing the onlycontact by each piston with the inner surface of said piston chamber inwhich it moves for preventing each piston from cocking as it moves inthe arcuate path defined by said tube.

5. The structure set forth in claim 4, wherein:

each of said seal rings is an O-ring formed of rubber or a rubber-likematerial.

6. The structure set forth in claim 2, wherein:

said housing is formed in two halves split so as to provide asemi-cylindrical annular groove in each which join together when saidtwo halves are as sembled to form a cylindrical annular groove definingsaid operating chamber.

1. A rotary operator for a valve or the like, comprising a housinghaving a circular operating chamber internally thereof; a tubular insertassembly including a single metal tube bent to an arcuate shape anddisposed in a portion of said operating chamber to form two arcuatepiston chambers; a divider plate disposed in and fixed to the bore ofsaid tube at substantially the mid-point thereof for dividing said tubeinto said two arcuate piston chambers; an arcuate piston rod disposed insaid operating chamber and having its ends positioned in said arcuatepiston chambers formed by said tube; a piston having annular seal meanstherewith disposed at each of said ends of said piston rod but separatetherefrom and having no connection therewith; and fluid pressure meansfor alternately applying fluid pressure to each of said pistons formoving same and said piston rod arcuately therewith.
 2. The structureset forth in claim 1, wherein: said fluid pressure means includes a pipedisposed on each side of said divider and communicating with each ofsaid piston chambers in said tube.
 3. The structure set forth in claim1, wherein: said tube forms a liner for the major portion of saidoperating chamber.
 4. The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein saidannular seal means on each of said pistons includes: a pair of sealrings spaced from each other and providing the only contact by eachpiston with the inner surface of said piston chamber in which it movesfor preventing each piston from cocking as it moves in the arcuate pathdefined by said tube.
 5. The structure set forth in claim 4, wherein:each of said seal rings is an O-ring formed of rubber or a rubber-likematerial.
 6. The structure set forth in claim 2, wherein: said housingis formed in two halves split so as to provide a semi-cylindricalannular groove in each which join together when said two halves areassembled to form a cylindrical annular groove defining said operatingchamber.